Monday, October 19, 2009

When I was in college, on Saturday afternoons a large group of us would celebrate the weekend by going to lunch at the local Tex-Mex restaurant. We’d toast the weekend with tall glasses of iced tea and salty chips dipped in salsa, and as we were in North Texas, most of us would order the house special—sour cream chicken enchiladas.

Tex-Mex is the large umbrella phrase that covers what people have determined to be Americanized Mexican food, but it’s a very broad term as a Tex-Mex plate found in North Texas will be very different than a Tex-Mex plate found near the Gulf. This is what I discovered when I went to college in the small town of Sherman near the Oklahoma border. Green sauce was gone, with sour-cream based enchilada sauce to be found in its place. Different, yes, but just as satisfying.

The sour cream enchiladas were stuffed with shredded chicken that had been spiced with generous amounts of salt and black pepper, a simple blend that still had flavor. The sauce itself was a creamy blend of sour cream and chicken broth. A few pickled jalapenos were added, yet they provided more color than fire, as all that cream mitigated any heat. But what this sauce lacked in piquancy, it made up for it in creamy comfort and a taste so smooth I’d always order an extra bowl on the side.
My love for these enchiladas is firmly embedded into those four years I was in college—I hadn’t eaten them before and I hadn’t eaten them since. While my tastes have changed since then, I am still a fool for sour cream (give me a spoon and a carton and I’ll be eating myself silly in no time) so I decided to revisit this North Texas classic.

After following what was purported to be a close approximation of this restaurant’s recipe, I was struck by how bland the sour cream sauce was—I couldn’t believe I used to love it so much! I tried punching it up with some cayenne, garlic and cumin, but it was still too flat for me—it needed some tang. I was afraid limejuice would curdle the sauce, so I pureed it with some roasted tomatillos instead.

I took another bite. I wasn’t bored this time! In fact this sauce was a nod to two long-ago favorites as it was the marriage of my Houston green sauce with my North Texas sour-cream sauce. But I shouldn’t have been too surprised. I mean, I’ve certainly changed since I was 18 so why couldn’t my sour cream sauce change as well? And if I do say so myself, we’re both much improved by the changes made through the years.

Sprinkle the chicken breasts on each side with the salt and black pepper. Heat the oil a large cast-iron or ovenproof skillet set on medium heat. When it shimmers, add the chicken and cook on each side in the oil for 3 minutes. Place in the oven and bake for 30 minutes. When the chicken is done, take the chicken out of the oven and let cool. Then shred with two forks. Keep the oven on, as you’ll be using it again.

Meanwhile, to make the sauce, in a saucepot on medium-low, melt the butter. Throw in the diced Serrano chiles and cook until soft, about 3 or 4 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Whisk in the flour and cook for 1 more minute. Pour the chicken broth into the pot, and while whisking, cook until the chicken broth has thickened. Stir in the sour cream, cumin, cayenne, and cilantro. Remove from heat.

If using fresh tomatillos, place them under the broiler on a foil-lined sheet and cook on each side until blackened, about 4 minutes per side. Place in a blender along with the sour cream sauce and puree into smooth. If using canned tomatillos, skip the broiler step and just place them in the blender with the sour cream sauce and proceed.

To make the enchiladas, heat the canola oil in a skillet and cook the corn tortillas on each side a couple of minutes until soft. Wrap in a cloth to keep warm as you continue to cook all 12.

To assemble the enchiladas, pour one cup of the sour cream sauce in the bottom of the baking dish. Take each corn tortilla and place in the middle 1/3 cup of shredded chicken, 1 teaspoon of diced onions and 1 tablespoon of cheese (I’m not usually this scientific but if you’ve never made them before and desire exact measurements this would be it!).

Roll the tortillas around the filling and place the rolled tortillas seam side down in the casserole dish. Cover the enchiladas with the remaining sauce and cheese and bake for 25 minutes or until top is brown and bubbling.

130 comments:

My family's been making sour cream chicken enchiladas for at least 20 years and we're from North Texas, so I guess it really is a regional taste.

We don't use broth for the sauce though, we have always used cream of chicken soup and sour cream. We also refer to it as 'goop.' Which sounds awful but is yummy enough that my niece will eat it as soon as it's mixed with corn tortillas and a spoon. The addition of tomatillos sounds amazing!

I am currently a homesick Texan myself--attending college in Baltimore, but missing my dear El Paso. Sour cream enchiladas are a favorite of mine, too, though in El Paso this usually means regular red or green sauce simply topped with sour cream. I do love the sound of your sauce, though. I'll bet the tomatillos do make a big difference!

While I was growing up, Mexican food on the weekends was a given. I miss it very much. Thank you for the post and the recipe!

Oh, I'm going to have to make these. We were in TX the last 12 years, and are in Canada now. And let me tell you how much I miss the food!! Question: the several times now that I've tried to ROLL corn tortillas in various dishes, they end up cracking and breaking. I tried warming them in the microwave last time, and while they were more pliable, they still broke after I had rolled them. It doesn't affect the taste of course, but I was wondering if you had a tried and true method of keeping them in one piece?

Jessica, In the restaurant they would always dip the corn tortillas in the fryer, not to fry them, but really to soak them in the oil so they didn't crack. Warming them up in the micro doesn't seem to give them the edge they need to stay together. I would suggest dipping the tortillas in a bit of the sauce mix or some oil to give them alittle extra moisture to keep them from cracking..

Flea--I love that you call it goop! I'll have to try it your way sometime.

Katherine--I hear you! That's the first thing you miss when you leave Texas--the availability of good Mexican food. Baltimore is a long way from El Paso, in so many ways!

TKW--They're my favorite comfort food as well.

Maggie--These will warm you up in no time!

Jessica--Trey's answer below is pretty much what I would say. I heat them in oil on a cast-iron skillet, which makes them pliable. Dipping them in sauce also helps, which is why they're called enchiladas in the first place, as enchilada means "to add chiles." Hope your tortillas stay whole next time!

Sour cream enchiladas were my staple tex-mex menu choice all through my childhood. I have been craving them something fierce lately, but I'll have to try it your way with the tomatillos--sounds delicious!

Green chile chicken enchiladas are something I make here in Maine several times a year, we love enchiladas this way. I always dip the tortillas in the sauce before filling and folding, works well.

We just returned from Texas last week and ate a lot a Tex-Mex while in the hill country thought we were in heaven :)

We had not tried chicken steak with gravy or fried okra before but stopped at a restaurant in a little town named Bertram (The Hungry Moose) Boy! Was that meal great, we will be heading back for more the next time we are in the area.

I made Texas chile when we arrived home I tweaked it a little bit, really one of my best batches.

I've been waiting for this post for years. I never saw white enchiladas until I was in my 20s and it was in Idaho where they use cream of chicken soup/cream cheese and sour cream. It's an abomination. I love the recipe you posted and can't wait to try it.

I grew up in Dallas and just assumed that you could get sour cream chicken enchiladas at all Mexican restaurants. That's before I realized that all Mexican restaurants around the country didn't serve Tex Mex! I can't wait to try these, as I don't make it back to El Fenix in Dallas that often these days.

My husband was just wanting me to make some sour cream enchiladas. So when I seen the title of your blog entry- I thought great I will try her recipe (they always sound so good & the ones I have tried are good). Although I am not a Homesick Texan, I am a Homesick Oklahoman who lives in Alaska. So I really enjoy reading your blog, because most of the foods are very familiar to me. Then today, I seen you went to college in Sherman & spoke of a tex-mex restaurant there. Well I went to college, just north of Sherman in Durant, Oklahoma and we would frequently go to Sherman for mexican food. What are the chances of it being the same restaurant. What a small world.

Aaah, Garcia's!! If you were at AC in the early 90s, I might have even seen you there; my friends and I used to go as often as we could. I remember they had the largest iced tea glasses I'd ever seen. I was vegetarian at the time so never ordered the sour cream chicken enchiladas, but now my mouth is watering for some. I'm excited about trying your recipe!

Lisa - You'll be sad to know that El Rio isn't there anymore. Our choices for TexMex when I attended AC about 3 years ago were Tia's and Jalapeno Tree. There was also this place with no name next to the Herald Democrat that wasn't half bad.

I definitely think the sour cream sauce is regional - I grew up in Houston and it was red or green or nothing. The white sauce was an abomination (but oh so tasty).

East Coast girl that I am, I've never had enchiladas with a sour cream-based sauce, so these will be a first for me. I love the idea of the tomatillos, though. More farmers around here are growing them, so they've been easy to find in farmers markets this year.

Growing up in Dallas, I loved the sour cream enchiladas at Mia's on Lemon Ave. YUM. One of the finest comfort foods around.

Now that I live east of the Mississippi, I'll love trying your recipe, because Tex-Mex just ain't the same ovah heah.

I loved your cheese enchiladas recipe, too -- the chili gravy was exactly right, and I could never have come up with that on my own. Man, when that first bite hit my mouth, I was so happy. I know I'll get a kick out of the sour cream variety, too.

Carry on, sister. Btw, if you're coming to Oxford for SFA Symposium this year, check out the taqueria on University, down near highway 7. Good spot for straight up tacos al pastor and other varieties.

Oh! Yes! Nothing better for dinner. I'm an eight generation Texan, but have spent the last 20 some years in Florida. This is the pot luck dish that I am known for and take printed recipes when I do. I always get request. I have actually made it with left-over shredded pork. It is yummy as well. If I die of a heart attack, it will be because I have eaten Sour Cream Enchiladas since birth!

I have been making Sour Cream Enchiladas for over 20 yrs, while in TX and now in LA. I have tried different recipes, even one with a little Mayo mixed with the Sour Cream (with other stuff) to add the tang you were looking for. It is quite good by the way! I look forward to trying yours. Thanks for keeping me close to home.

That is too weird!!! I just made some sour cream enchiladas last week.. kinda butchered the recipe cause I forgot to get the creamed chicken but it turned out respectable, I will have to make these so my family can see what they are supposed to taste like. lol. Thank you so much!

My mom's sourcream enchis always got us through our Tex-Mex cravings when we lived in DC and Long Beach, MS. She just mixes green enchi sauce from Old El Paso with the sourcream and some canned green chilis. So easy and so good!

Pretty close to how my mother taught me how to make these. I started using Herdez's tomatillo sauce a few years ago as a shortcut. It's pretty tangy and tasty. If you're going to make enough for leftovers, I suggest using chicken breast with the bone (remove skin). The meat is juicer than boneless (even several days later). Boil for about 1.5 hours to get it very tender -- to the point where it pulls away from the bone. It's will be very easy to shred. I use the chicken stock for the Mexican rice or to sautee the corn tortillas (instead of oil) before making the enchiladas.

Ever since my favorite hole in the wall Mexican restaurant in the suburbs of DFW closed 5 years ago, I have been craving their Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas something fierce! Those are the babies that turned me into a Tex-Mex junkie at the age of 5! I never have been able to find another restaurant that has been able to recreate their version (even in North Texas), and now that I'm living far away from Texas, they don't even exist at the Tex-Mex/Mexican Restaurants around here. I'm excited to try your version, as my husband is a misplaced Houstonite, so now we can both be satisfied. Any luck with you sharing your recipe for the blander version of your college days as well (or at least pointing me in the right direction)?

Wonderful! I've made my own Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas several times and while I have enjoyed them more than what we usually have in restaurants, they've never satisfied me as quite "perfect". They need just a little more...something. I think the tomatillos are a great idea and I bet my husband and I are really going to like this recipe!

We're moving from Texas to Tennessee soon and I find myself going to your site like a toddler reaching for her security blanket. I guarentee that this is a recipe that will make the trip! :)

Lisa - Whenever I make enchiladas I always lightly fry the corn tortillas in oil. It helps keep them together. I only fry them for a few seconds so they don't get crispy and I'm left with a great result.

I agree with both Marjorie and Paul in their tips to handle the tortillas, first the light frying then the dipping in the tomatillo green sauce and the use of Media Crema by Nestle' instead of sour cream is the version my husbands family from South Texas/Mexico border area always uses. So yes these type of enchiladas are very regionalized, so let's try them all and then decide on your favorite! Love your posts Lisa. chrisq

Theses look fantastic! I made enchiladas last night similar to yours and they were delish; I love your use of fresh tomatillos in the sauce- I usually use canned. My family loves tex-mex, so I love visiting your site!

Like others mentioned, I have always made them at home with the sour cream/cream of chicken soup mixture with canned green chiles. I really appreciate you providing so many great alternatives to condensed soup. I have officially abandoned my old King Ranch recipe for your's and imagine I will do the same now with these enchiladas!

These sound delicious! I grew up in Denison and these were my standard order as a kid at La Mesa or Garcia's! One of the things I have yet to be able to find in Nashville is anyone who has even heard of Sour Cream Enchiladas - I've received quite a few funny looks when asking though... This will definitely be on our plates this weekend! Thanks so much!

I'm a displaced Texan living in Chicago, missing the food and fellowship of Texans, and just seeing the picture of your enchiladas made me a very happy guy on this dreary Fall day. I know now what I'll be eating while I watch Horns beat Missouri on Saturday.

Lightly moisten a cotton towel, or about three paper towels and wrap a short stack of corn tortillas with it and microwave for a few minutes, the tortillas are then very workable and won't crack. This looks like a great recipe, thanks so much for posting!

I was born in Sherman and raised in the North Dallas area. I now live in Canada, so I truly want to say THANK YOU- not only for this post but for your entire blog. I have been reading it for a year and everytime you post something new, I get to go down memory lane.

Everyone here ALWAYS asks me what I miss most about home. My first answer is well family of course, but if that was a given - then it has to be the FOOD!

This homesick Texan really thanks you for tantalizing my senses and reminding me of home!

I am guessing you are an Austin College Kangaroo since you went to school in Sherman. My sister went there in the 70's and I enjoyed going to visit her in the dorm. I love your blog and plan to get cooking soon.

We made this tonight and it was great! We ended up with quite a bit of leftover sauce - maybe because I had to use tomatillo salsa instead of fresh - they're hard to come by in this part of Pennsylvania. I also added some minced jalapeno to the onion mix. It was a great way to introduce my boyfriend to classic Tex Mex!

Lisa, Thanks so much for this recipe. I have tried several others that you have posted, but this one has to be the best. My wife kept commenting on how good the kitchen smelled, and we both couldn't wait until they were done. This was the first time that I had tried to make something like this, and your recipe made it easy. I did substitute flour tortillas (family preference) but used your recipe for making them.

Thank you, thank you, thank you for this recipe! I grew up in northern Texas and was there for 37 years before moving to Arizona 18 years ago. The thing I miss most about Texas is the FOOD! I truly appreciate your recipes and many of them are favorite Texas foods of mine. They remind me of my childhood. Sour Cream Chicken enchiladas have always been one of my very favorite foods to eat and I had almost forgotten about them, since you never see them on a menu in Arizona. I will be making this recipe very soon! Thanks again!

I love this type of enchilada as I am from Oklahoma and we make a similar recipe all the time. One night I was in a hurry and decided to add a jar of Rick Bayless' Frontera Green Tomatillo salsa to the sour cream and it was fantastic. Just an idea if you are in a hurry and need a quick sauce-

I have been craving chicken enchiladas verde for days now. I live in Texas, so it would be so easy to order it to go or to gather up the family and drive over to Chuys or El Tiempo where they are especially delicious, but I really want to make them at home. This looks fantastic. Thank you for the recipe. Your photography and recipe choices are wonderful!

Sour cream chicken enchiladas used to be my go to dish at Mexican restaurants. I guess I wore myself out on them because I haven't ordered them in a restaurant in years. Your post made me want them again. I've got a batch in the oven right now. Thanks!

We just moved back to CA after 8 years in Austin and I miss the Tex Mex! Although I love California-style Mexican food, it just isn't the same. Every time we go to Mexican food here, my boys ask for queso!! Do you have a great recipe for queso? I've made the standard Velveeta with Rotel, but something more homemade would be better! Can't wait to make these enchiladas!

I grew up in Charlotte, NC and there was a mexican restaurant there that had sour cream enchiladas -- they were my favorite thing on the menu, but I haven't been able to find them anywhere else since (at one point I thought I had hallucinated the dish).

Now I live in Texas (but definitely not the northern part) and I still can't get them at a restaurant here so thanks for the recipe; I'm making these for dinner tonight!

Hmmm, Sherman, Texas, huh? Are you an Austin college alum? I'm not, but I highly considered attending - it's an interesting school! I like Sherman, in all of it's quiet peacefulness. And yes, those sour cream chicken enchiladas are definitely a North Texas thing! Not my #1 way to eat enchiladas - I tend to lean towards tomatillos or the chili gravy, myself, but I love how you've punched up the flavor in these! I'm going to have to try the recipe.

The first Tex-Mex food I ever liked was Sour Cream Enchiladas. There was a great Mexican Restaurant in Odessa, Texas called Manuel's where I tried them the first time. That has been one of my favorite dishes since then and I have tried lots of variations. I have never tried tomatillos in the sauce, but you can bet I will now! Btw..I read that Manuel's is still operating. Can anyone out there tell me how the food is now?Thanks for the recipe, Lisa!

I didn't even realize sour cream enchiladas weren't an all-Texas thing - I guess b/c I live in N Texas!

We usually get tired of turkey and other holiday food by Christmas and end up making a Tex-Mex Christmas, and my contribution is always sour cream enchiladas, although I'm probably blasphemous in that I make them with FLOUR tortillas, ahh, the horror!

I just made up a recipe and use cream cheese as a binder for the filling as well. Then I make a bechamel and just add chopped green chilies and sour cream to that.

I didn't know you went to Austin College! Being from south central Texas (San Antonio), the sour cream enchilada and I have never gotten along. I do have a great Junior League recipe for "Swiss" enchiladas made with a cream sauce similar but not the same. I love the good ole cheese enchilada with chili gravy. Not too easy to find in North Texas. I keep trying!

Just finished making the sauce and assembling the enchiladas - love everything so far! I'm in San Antonio, and we the sour cream version isn't as common here, but a friend from N. Texas used to make them. Can't wait to serve them tonight! Thanks so much!

Lisa, I did some searching and found that Manuel's is still going strong in Odessa. There is actually a video posted on YouTube. It's very "retro" now! lol I cooked up your recipe this weekend and thought it was amazing. I sauteed the onions before adding them to the chicken mixture plus I added a little cream cheese to the chicken, onion, and cheese- It was the first time I tried tomatillos and they were a perfect addition. Question for you, do you remove the seeds and membranes from your serrano chilies before chopping them? Anyway..your version of this great dish was the best I have tried. Thanks so much!

Our move was accomplished without a hitch, but our first experience in a "Mexican Food Restaurant" in our new town was painful! I resolved that night that I would make these enchiladas asap. We had them for dinner tonight and they were a hit! I managed to preserve one for my lunch tomorrow and I furtively packed it away before licking the pan clean--that sauce is awesome! ~K

I tried this recipe tonight, and it was delicious! I added extra garlic and a can of diced, mild green chiles to the sauce, and next time I will probably throw in a few more tomatillos and a chopped jalapeño or 2 for some extra kick. But your tip about heating the tortillas in oil worked like a dream (even heating them in the microwave, I've always ended up with messy, broken enchiladas), and the sauce was just the perfect creamy consistency. Thank you for posting this!

Not that you need to hear this again...but this was one of my favorite dishes when I lived in Dallas too. I can't get in here in PA, but I have had decent success with this recipe: http://www.texascooking.com/recipes/sourcreamenchiladas.htm

I fry my tortillas in heated shortening for the best results in flavor and texture for about 15 seconds. I also add a little coriander to the sauce. I have found that this recipe is a little bland, but I usually forget to add some jalapeños to it. I can't believe I never thought of tomatillos! I will have to try your recipe and try to tweak that other one as well and maybe I'll find that "perfect" taste that I remember from whichever restaurants I was at. (El Taquito on East Grand was one I used to frequent.) Thanks for putting up your creations. It is inspiring as I sometimes feel like I don't know enough to publish my creations, so maybe I'll get around to blogging my experiments one of these days.

Oh my GOD, this is the best sour-cream sauce I've ever tasted! Tangy-smoky, lots of depth. I could've drunk it by itself! Thank you so much for sharing the recipe! Upon next batch I'll make a few tweaks:- increase to 2-1/2C sour cream and 2-1/2C chicken broth, to make a little more sauce (I had enough filling/enchiladas for 2 pans)- increase to 3 serrano peppers and 10-11 tomatillos (to compensate for additional sauce, plus a bit more spice too) - I added 1 diced large red bell pepper for color/flavor -- and I sautéed the onion/bell pepper in a bit of butter for just about 2 minutes before building the enchiladas - increase to 1 whole onion; with only 1/2, I ran out before I finished up the chicken (even with the bell pepper)- I just fried each tortilla about 30 seconds per side; longer made them too crispy - increase to 3C cheese; 2C wasn't quite enough (again, 2 pans)

Again, thank you soooo much for this spectacular dish! I hadn't had good sour-cream chicken enchiladas since moving from Dallas to LA 16 years ago -- and these were better than anything I'd had back then! :)

These have become one of my favorite things to cook whenever I am back in Texas. Unfortunately, as you know, it's not so easy to get corn tortillas or tomatillos here in NYC. Oh, and forget about trying to find Rotel! Thanks so much for your blog. I'm also a homesick Texan living in Manhattan, but I do make it back to Big D every other month, or so.

In my family we had/have Chicken Enchillada Casserole....the recipe has been improved on for years and years. Every time I give out the recipe someone has a great idea to improve it! I just made it last night, it's my family's favorite. It's actually just like making chicken enchilladas but you layer it all in a casserole dish. When I make "real" chicken enchilladas I make them the same way, just roll them up and put sauce and cheese on top! I'm a transplanted Texan, transplanted to California where there are beans in the chili and sour cream on almost every Mexican dish!

I can't imagine making/eating "Enchiladas Verdes" made with cream of choicken soup! It would be considered a casserole to me, not the authentic Green Chicken Enchiladas.

My grandma Nellie & I would make the homemade tomatillo sauce -- for special occasions (birthdays, etc), but when pressed for time, we'd do a quick "semi-homemade" sauce, by using a few jars of Salsa Verde/Green sauce (Mrs. Renfro's, for example).

Chicken was boiled with onions, red pepper flakes, salt/pepper, fresh cilantro or cumin powder if fresh cilantro not available. Add jalapenos to your liking. THe chicken stock was added to jar sauce and used to soften the corn tortillas.

Sometimes due to arthritis aches in hands, grandma would suggest making enchiladas into "lasagna style layers" instead of hand-rolling each tortilla. Sauce on bottom of baking dish, followed by layers of tortilla, shredded chicken, shredded cheese, cilantro, chopped onion (optional) amd sauce.

The ONLY sour cream that we ever used was a dollop on top of served enchiladas along with sprinkling of chopped cilantro & sliced black olives for garnish.

I just made these for dinner this evening...they were amazing! One of the dishes I really miss are the enchiladas suiza from Trudy's in Austin. While these aren't exactly the same, the flavors are very similar. Thanks so much for the recipe!

These were awesome! I used a can and a half of Jerdez Salsa verde, mostly tomatillos and roasted New Mexican green chilis instead of soranos. So tasty, thanks Homesick Texan. Your blog is such a fun discovery for this misplaced Texan in Oregon.

I'm a displaced Texan as well. Currently in Germany, but my heart and home will always be Texas. My husband and I both went to college near North Texas and there was an awesome Mexican food restaurant that served this dish. Hmmm wonder if it could be the same one. Anyway thanks for the recipe. I've been looking for one for a long time.

I just made these enchiladas tonight, followed the recipe pretty much exact, and they are AMAZING.The only thing I added was black beans (straight from a can, nothing special). Thanks for a great new dish!!

I know I'm late to the party on the comment thread, but I thought I'd chime in anyway.

I usually warm tortillas for enchiladas one of two ways:

1) If I need to warm a whole batch at one time is the microwave/damp paper towel method mentioned above. I find this works best if you have a layer of paper towelling between each 2-3 tortillas so the steam is getting to all of the tortillas, not just the outer ones.

2) The method I use for enchilada assembly is steaming them on the stovetop. I put my wire cooling rack on top of a small skillet of simmering water and steam each tortilla as the first step in the assembly line. It doesn't take any longer than the frying method.

As an Oklahoman living in London, proper Tex-Mex food is one of the most difficult things to find (and the thing I crave most)! My English partner loves Tex-Mex food and requested some for his birthday this year.

Thanks so much for such a delicious and easy recipe! My partner and I loved these sour cream enchiladas so much!

I didn't have tomatillos on hand, but I did have access to home grown tomatoes, chili peppers and some lemon juice, which I blitzed together first. Yummy!

Instead of frying the tortillas, I sprinkled them with water, wrapped them in foil and then popped them into the oven while I was working away on the sauce.

I must say that I love that your recipes are predominately from scratch---makes them healthier and much easier to re-create, especially when American packaged ingredients are not always to hand (or affordable).

This looks good and tasteful.Thanks for sharing this recipe I will make this one this weekend where my friends and I will be having a dinner on my house.____Gratitude is the sign of noble souls. - Aesop San Francisco SEO|Seattle SEO|Seattle Real Estate

I made these for dinner last night-have been wanting to for a while. I used flour tortillas instead of corn...is that blasphemy as far as enchiladas go? Anyway they were really darn good and I am thinking about sticking the leftovers in the food processor with some cream cheese and a little of the extra sauce to make a dip for the big game tomorrow. Not sure how that will turn out but we'll see!

I made these using homemade corn tortillas and they were AMAZING. Definitely the best chicken enchiladas I've ever made. I don't know what type of sour cream you used in your recipe...but I used the real mexican "Crema"...Grade A Table Cream...and the canned tomatillos and it was delicious. I will definitely make it again!!!

I'm an Okie who grew up on sour cream chicken enchiladas and have recently had a hankering for them. So I made them for a group of folks here in DC and they loved them! This will definitely go into my repertoire. Thanks!

Thanks for a fabulous recipe ! I discovered your website through my friend, a homesick texan in Paris (I myself am a homesick michigander in Paris, but our food isn't as tasty as texmex :P). Due to the lack of tomatillos and monterey jack cheese in french markets, I substituted regular tomato pulp for the tomatillos, cheddar cheese for monterey jack, and what I think is a jalapeño or the serrano (they just call it "piment" in France, and barely anyone buys them...green peppers are already too spicy). It was delicious ! :) A friend of mine made us King Ranch Casserole about a month ago, OM NOM!

Just made these today. Terrific! I used the white meat from a rotisserie chicken. In the interest of saving a few calories I used half regular sour cream and half Greek yogurt. Tasted great. Thanks for another great recipe.

I'm a homesick Texan as well. I was born and raised in Houston, Texas. My husband took a pastorate in Illinois five years ago, so we now live in the land of meat and potatoes (and jello salad!). I will say their sweet corn is to die for!

I've been reading your site for some time, and I love not only your recipes, but your commentary as well! We make your queso on a regular basis around here! Keep up the good work!

P.S. My daughter lives in California and just shipped me 20 lb. of tomatillos! Yay! She said she's made your sour cream enchiladas and they are wonderful. Can't wait to try them!

Over the weekend, I had a dinner date so I made these for my children. Apparently, they are amazing because the only thing they didn't do was lick the dish (or put it in the sink to soak). They didn't even leave me one to try! Thanks for the recipe. It is definitely a keeper.

I am a native Houstonian living in Richmond, Virginia, where the food is beyond bland! I MISS food where when you take a bite your mouth is exploding with depth of flavor! Your food blog has made me daring and I am making dishes that we only ate out.

These are so amazing. I really loved them - my family liked them but said they wanted a little less sour cream flavor and more heat. I think they may have been thrown off by the tang of the tomatillos, not the sour cream.

Nevertheless, these are awesome. A lot like Chuy's boom-boom enchiladas or Hatch Chicken Enchiladas.

Made these last night 2/5/2012. They were the best sour cream chicken enchiladas we've ever eaten. I grew up in TX, now in DC, and have eaten more than my fair share over my lifetime, these were the best - hands down. Thank you for sharing your recipe.

I tried this recipe tonight, and it was delicious. The only thing I think I'll change is using flour tortillas. I never have good luck with corn tortillas holding together for regular enchiladas, but I've had a similar sour cream enchilada with flour tortillas and it turned out great. It's just a little different.

I must say, I was a little hesitant adding the sour cream to the stock for the sauce. It looked a little bleh for a moment. LOL :)

I was tremendously amused when my husband told me he had found this funny good-looking enchilada recipe on this website called homesick Texan. We moved to New Mexico two years ago, and I read your blog every single week! Anyhow, I was excited to try this. We hadn't any serrano peppers, so I used jalapeno, and we also had some fancy chile Monterey Jack that we tried. Oh la la! This recipe was worth it for the sauce alone, but altogether it is heaven. Thank you so much! And – holy cow! How did I miss that you were a fellow AC grad? Go Roos! :) - Sharon

I found this site while looking for a meatloaf recipe, but luckily, I found so much more! I bought the cookbook, and just made the sour cream chicken enchiladas. Not a typical recipe for a hot day in Connecticut, but there you go...Delicious! Can't wait to try more recipes. BTW- the book is beautifully bound and uses good quality paper. And the photographs...inspirational. Keep up the great work.

As a Texan who lives in Dallas, the sour cream sauce that is thinned out with just a touch of chicken stock, then add chopped cilantro, and sliced jalapenos. The big difference between authentic Tex Mex is the use of cilantro. Northerners tend to leave it out.

As for myself I am also a homesick Texan. Im from Ft. Worth Texas and the food there is out of this world. I now live in Missouri. I cant complain to much about the Mexican food,but I have yet to find any sour cream enchiladas.. So when I get a taste for these I prepare them.. and they are gone in no time.. Thanks for this recipe it is amazing!!!

I'm late to this party, but I just made these today (they smell amazing in the oven, I can't wait to eat them!) Here's my question (pardon my enchilada ignorance but I'm a Yankee); If I am making enchiladas with fresh corn tortillas (which I now make regularly thanks to you) should I still give them the dip in hot oil or sauce before filling? Thanks! I love your book- talk about being born in the wrong place! New England, land of chowder and baked beans. Yuck.

We had sour cream chicken enchiladas at Pachito's Restaurant in San Angelo today at noon. I was wondering what might lurk in that creamy sauce. It was wonderful. I wish I could get their cole slaw recipe. It's sweet and crunchy and no mayo! Thanks for your recipe and I love your blog!Brenda

I've been trying your recipes for several months now, even though I live in Dallas and have lots of fantastic Tex-Mex options nearby. I often feed youth group kids at a North Dallas Presbyterian church, and they love the brisket tacos! Imagine my surprise when I saw this entry and figured out you graduated from AC! I graduated in 1980, so hello from a fellow Roo. Can't wait to try these sour cream enchiladas - Blue Goose has been my long-time favorite... I'll definitely be buying your cookbook now. Gotta support our alums!

To keep the tortillas from cracking, have a small frying pan filled with a couple 3 or 4 tablespoons of heated corn, grapeseed, or olive oil over meduim heat...I have my casserole dish next to my pan and use tongs to dip each tortilla for about 2-3 seconds each side before moving it to my dish to fill and roll...delicious! And you don't have to grease your enchilada dish since all the tortillas are quickly oil dipped!

We bought your book while visiting friends in Portland, OR last year and we just tried these tonight. I have to say, quite yummy. My partner exclaimed - this is restaurant quality! :-) Glad to read that leftover sauce keeps a week in the frig. I am going to use this recipe for a dinner party and that will come in handy, to prep the chicken and sauce in advance.

I made these tonight but did not bake, covered them and put the casserole in the fridge for tomorrow night. Can I bake them directly from the fridge or should I let them sit (and for how long) till I bake them?

Help! I live in England now and I'm really a homesick Texan. I want to make these for Cinco de Mayo but cannot get tomatillos. I have managed to find some imported cans of chipotle peppers in sauce. What do y'all think of substituting chipoltes for tomatillos? Without something to give it a kick, I think the sour cream will be too bland for my curry loving husband.